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6 EDCAL July 30, 2018 MILLER Continued from page 1 high. An annual speech writing and public speaking event is one example of the clear expectation for excellence she sets, as well as the tight-knit community she has helped to build. The entire community joins in celebrating the work of the students and to support the district. Miller was always drawn to leadership. “My desire to become an administrator started very early in my career,” she said. “When I first started teaching I found myself relating to the administrative side of education. I have always enjoyed being part of the planning and problem-solving pro- cesses that can bring about positive changes. And, I have always enjoyed collaboration with my colleagues. Realizing that I could ‘lead the learning,’ to borrow a title from Paula Rutherford, moving into the school MORALES Continued from page 1 him to addiction. His father, deported when Nick was eight, was seldom accessible. “My mom had her own problems with drug addiction,” he said. “And got sober. And relapsed. Having to go through all that was not the most stable thing. But with that said, I’ve always had my grandparents in my life. From when I was little, they really tried to take care of my mom and me.” By the time he was a teenager, Nick was drinking alcohol. Then starting with mari- juana, he escalated to crystal meth, to which he became addicted. “I’m this 15-year-old kid living in this meth house,” Nick said. “What is going to happen if I continue on this path? And it came to me. ‘I’m going to die.’” “Nick was literally on the street, down office as the principal seemed like the path that I was meant to take.” Miller is deeply committed to collabora- tion and empowers her staff to prioritize student needs above all else. As the super- intendent/principal, her hands are on every facet of school culture and the instructional program. She monitors student learning through daily classroom walk-throughs and data collection and analysis. Her style of servant leadership is known to have opened doors of communication and to build an inclusive atmosphere among staff, students and families. Miller credits her school community with being a source of inspiration. “I am constantly inspired by the people around me,” she said. “A school site or district is a very exciting and hard-working environment. Teachers extend themselves on a daily basis to create amazing educational opportunities for their students. Students learn and grow and become empowered young adults right before our eyes. Support staff members make sure everyone else can do their job in the best possible way. The children, young adults, staff members, parents and community members whom I work with now and have worked with in the past, truly inspire me each and every day. My goal is to always work harder, accom- plish more and try to keep up with all of these very talented people.” Miller has overcome a variety of chal- lenges in the operations and resources areas, always while prioritizing the safety of stu- dents and staff. Through water issues and rattlesnakes, she has always managed to keep everyone safe and the environment ideal for learning. Miller participates as a board member of Schools for Sound Finance, where she rep- resents the unique challenges of small rural, basic aid/community-funded districts. She is an active ACSA member at both the state and local levels, participating in training opportunities such as the Superintendent’s Academy and acting as a representative on the Elementary Education Council for Region 2 since 2011. Her staff and colleagues are quick to applaud Miller’s approach. She acknowledges that sometimes, inno- vation can be difficult. “Risk can be the heart of improvement and improvement can be the soul of inno- vation,” Miller said. “At my school sites, I have worked hard to set a tone that opens the door to an innovative environment. I do that by connecting with staff members both professionally and personally and being willing to do any job on a campus. Any job! Once mutual respect and trust are a tangible and recognized element of the culture, real innovation has a chance to flourish. Shared leadership in an environment of trust and support is the innovation that helped create this success story.” and out,” said Ja